No Rules For Friendship
by azulfanatica
Summary: There are no rules for friendship. It must be left to itself. We cannot force it any more than love. William Hazlitt.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Post "Raising Caine." Not beta'd. This will be a multi-chapter story. Constructive criticism much appreciated!

I am currently writing my thesis, and I took up fanfiction as a way to get my creative juices flowing (writer's block and I are old friends). I will continue to update when I can, including my story "Hanging On For Dear Life." Thank you for all your support!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 1

* * *

Calleigh hauled her gear off the boat and yelled at Eric to hurry up. _Of _ALL _days for this to happen!_ She was practically steaming. She knew being on-call during her days off came with the job, but they'd been planning this for over a month. She missed her diving trips with Eric.

Today was one of those rare, glorious days that Calleigh and Eric both had the day off. Over the years, they ended up spending most of those days out on the water, drinking up the sun and enjoying each others' company. In some ways, these diving trips held their relationship together during the last eleven years, through every imaginable obstacle.

Their days off used to coincide more frequently, but seniority in the lab came with extra responsibilities and prolonged shifts, which meant their diving excursions took a major hit.

"Eric!" Calleigh yelled over her shoulder. She'd already managed to secure her scuba gear in the trunk of Eric's car, but he was still fiddling with something on the boat.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Or would you _rather_ Mariano's boat float away? Personally, I can't afford it…" he grinned that irresistible Delko grin.

Calleigh smiled half-heartedly, knowing that she shouldn't have pressed him so hard. "I'm sorry. I know you have to tie up the boat. I just want to get a move on."

By her side now at the trunk of the car, Eric said, "Cal, come on. What's really bugging you?"

Calleigh looked down, cheeks tinting pink. "It's just, we haven't gotten to do this in so long. Not—" she stopped, not able to finish.

"Not since before Jake." Eric understood. He understood perfectly.

Calleigh nodded, bringing her eyes up to meet Eric's. "And ever since Horatio found out about Kyle, and now that Julia's back in the picture, my workload keeps getting bigger and bigger."

"And you're afraid we won't get to do this again?" Eric questioned.

She nodded, and Eric continued, a little hesitantly, "And is this something you'd like to do more often?"

Calleigh knew he wasn't just asking her about their diving trips. For them, diving had never been just diving. So she took care in formulating her answer. Eric finished dumping his gear into the trunk before he shut the lid and gracefully hopped on top of it, ready to wait out Calleigh's answer.

"It is..." she let that sink in. "Do you remember why we started diving in the first place?" Calleigh asked with a laugh.

Eric shook with laughter. "How could I forget?"

FLASHBACK

The excitement from her first day on the job still hadn't worn off, and Calleigh enthusiastically agreed to track down a key piece of evidence when he solicited her help. Little did Calleigh know, but that one errand would change the course of her life in Miami.

"Hey! You must be the tow-truck driver," she hollered at a man bent over toward the end of the truck.

"I prefer automotive recovery expert." The man turned around, and Calleigh's breath caught in her throat. _Hello gorgeous HUNK of a fine man!! Oh god, I sound like Grandma Adelaide._

"Detective Caine asked me to come and get the vehicle, so…"

"Well it's all yours—take it," Eric smiled. "I just have one question. You wanna give me your phone number now, or later?"

Calleigh paused for a minute, not sure if she should be confused or flattered. "Does that work??" she finally laughed.

"Yeah, it works all the time…well, most of the time…actually, it's never worked, but I'm gonna keep trying."

"Well, I wouldn't bother with me, seriously, because I wouldn't even socialize with anyone remotely related to my job."

"'Kay. We'll see." _Cocky little…_

"Well, thanks a lot Mr.—"

"Delko. Yeah, but you can call me Eric." He winked, and then turned around, nearly bowling Horatio right over. Calleigh laughed to herself…_smooth_.

Several hours later, Calleigh's first official shift came to a close. As she exited the building and made her way across the street to the parking garage, a gentle hand wrapped around her arm and pulled her to a stop.

Calleigh whipped around, her heart pounding. Soon her eyes settled on a semi-familiar face—the tow-truck driver from earlier. Her fear turned to curiosity.

"Eric?"

"Aahhh," he smiled. "You remembered! The thing is, you never told me _your _name."

Calleigh smiled widely and held out her hand, "Calleigh Duquesne at your service."

"Well, Calleigh Duquesne, I was just talking to H, and he told me you are new to our fair city."

"True," she wasn't sure where this was going.

Eric's palms began to sweat. He'd barely met this girl, but she already had him mesmerized. Or maybe it was the part Horatio mentioned about the guns… Whatever answer Calleigh gave him to his next offer, he wouldn't take no for an answer.

"So I'm assuming you haven't gotten a chance to really enjoy it yet," he grinned.

"Not really, no," she smiled.

"I have a proposition, then."

"A proposition?"

"Yes. See, your first week's bound to be pretty stressful, and you'll want to relax somehow. Now, hear me out!" he stopped Calleigh from interrupting him.

"I haul tin to make extra cash, but usually I'm working as a civilian contractor with underwater recovery. This Saturday's my day off…and, well I was wondering if you'd like to go diving with me?" he finished in a rush.

Calleigh remained silent for a few seconds. "Diving?" she finally said.

The cocky grin she'd seen on Eric Delko's face earlier today had long since disappeared. _He really wants me to go? Hmmm, ulterior motives?_

As if he could read her mind, Eric spoke up, "Listen, I know I was hitting on you back at the garage. Truth is, Horatio's told me a lot about you, and I think we could be pretty great friends. Besides," he ducked his head, "I'm thinkin' about getting my badge, becoming a CSI. I thought I could pick your brain. What do you say?"

"Oh fine," she said with good humor, "how the heck can I argue with that?"

Eric's smile nearly blinded her. "Good! Great, umm, we can meet somewhere, or I can pick you up. All you need to bring is a swimsuit and a towel, maybe some sunblock."

"Well, I've been here a total of three days. I know how to get to work, and the store. Why don't you pick me up? I'm in Bal Harbour."

Eric chuckled, "Deal. And it sounds like a tour of the city is in order." Calleigh smiled. "Seven o'clock Saturday morning sound okay? I'll bring coffee."

"Deal," she mimicked his words.

They exchanged phone numbers and Calleigh gave Eric her address, neither aware of the journey upon which they had just embarked.

END FLASHBACK

Eric and Calleigh stood still and silent, drowning in old memories, until Calleigh broke the moment. "It's just, things are so hectic, and it feels like we never get to spend time together anymore."

Eric felt the same way. Their diving excursions were few and far between these days, and even their customary movie and pizza nights had gone on extended hiatus.

Three weeks ago Eric's cousin Nico visited from the Dominican Republic, and he constantly commented on the ridiculous number of hours Eric worked. Nico said to Eric, "At some point in your life, you're going to have to slow down, enjoy life. Don't worry so much. Take stock of what's important before it's too late."

Eric knew what was most important in his life: Calleigh. As his best friend, and someday soon, as something more.

"Calleigh…Cal, eleven years ago we started something. You were a saucy little thing that was terrified of messing up her new job. I was… well I was just lost. I didn't know what I wanted. You helped me decide," they both smiled.

Eric continued, "It's just, I doubt either one of us figured we'd be standing here, like this, today. You're my best friend, and I'd do anything for you. That thing we started morphed into the most important thing in my life."

Calleigh's heart gave a little flutter. She'd heard him tell her she was his best friend a thousand times, but never quite like that.

"You're right. We don't see each other as much as we used to. But we do have a choice in that matter," he tugged her chin up with his thumb and forefinger until she was looking at him. "Actually we have a couple options."

"I'm listening," Calleigh said, interested.

"First," he smirked, "you happen to be the assistant day-shift supervisor, and you could arrange for us to have more time off together."

Calleigh shook her head vehemently. "Don't start that again, Delko! You know how unfair it would be to mess with the schedule just for my own benefit!"

"And mine," Eric laughed at her glare. "Well, then, option number two. We make an intentional effort to spend time together after work, at least…twice…a week. More, if need be."

"Okay," Calleigh's grin beginning to grow. "You've really thought about this, haven't you?"

Eric blushed. "Maybe. Okay, yeah I have, a lot. But Cal, I…I miss you."

Calleigh tugged Eric off the trunk of the car and into a tight embrace. "I miss you, too," she said into his chest. About that time, she realized Eric was still wearing his wetsuit and _no_ _t-shirt_. Calleigh jumped back like she'd been burned. Then she thought_, what the hell_, and pulled him back into her arms. "That's why I'm so pissed to go on this call-out. This is _our_ time."

That snapped both of them back to reality. "The call-out!" they shouted in unison and hurried to jump in the car. The crime scene was only about three miles from their current location at the marina, but they'd received the page fifteen minutes ago and still hadn't left.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: I really do like Ryan, he's just so easy to pick on. Next chapter will redeem him some (hint: a little Ryalia).

Chapter 2

* * *

Eric drove the three miles quickly, pulling up to the scene to see two department Hummers already there. Unfortunately for both Eric and Calleigh, neither had any change of clothes except their beach-wear. In the car, Calleigh slipped on a pair of white shorts over her bikini bottoms and a pair of braided brown-leather sandals.

Ryan waited impatiently for his co-workers to arrive. They'd both gotten the call twenty minutes ago, and Ryan wondered where in the hell they could be. Suddenly, he spied Eric's silver sedan pulling up to the scene. _Is that Calleigh in the passenger seat? What is she _wearing_? Is Delko _naked_?!_

Ryan watched as Calleigh flipped on a green halter top over a white bikini before she opened the door and stepped out. As much as he hated to tear his eyes from a stunningly beautiful Calleigh in out-of-office attire, Ryan's focus was brought to Eric, who was now exiting the driver's side.

Eric came around the back of his car and popped open the trunk. At this point, Ryan saw that he was, in fact, _not _naked, but was wearing a wetsuit peeled down to his waist. Calleigh went to join Eric at the trunk of the car and they both rummaged for miscellaneous items. Calleigh straightened up with a hair-tie in her hand and began to bind up her hair in a fashionable yet functional ponytail. Thankfully, Eric re-surfaced with a t-shirt and a pair of leather sandals. He quickly disengaged himself from the wetsuit, leaving him standing in a pair of white swim trunks. He threw on his t-shirt and then turned to Calleigh, at which point they both burst into laughter.

Ryan burst into laughter, too. _They're either sleeping together, or they've just known each other WAY too long_, he thought. Eric and Calleigh stood before each other, mirror images: green shirts, white shorts, brown leather flip flops.

"You have to change, Eric!" Ryan heard Calleigh say through her laughter.

"Why do I have to change?" he asked stubbornly.

"Because I got dressed first, and because I don't have any other clothes."

"Fine." Eric ripped off the green shirt and started searching for a new one. _Give me a break, Delko, you're not _that_ hot, can't you keep your damn shirt on for two seconds?_ Ryan thought, more irritable than usual having to wait in the hot sun.

Apparently, some of the female officers and EMTs at the scene begged to differ with Ryan. "CSI Wolfe, right?" A cute strawberry-blonde paramedic approached him.

Ryan puffed out his chest a little. "Yeah, that's right," he smiled.

"Is that Officer Delko, over there?" she asked, pointing in Eric and Calleigh's direction. Burn. When Ryan nodded lamely, she asked, "Do you know if he's dating anyone?"

_Seriously?!?_ Ryan rolled his eyes and walked off to meet his friends, who were finally ducking under the crime scene tape (Eric now sporting a light blue polo).

"Took you two long enough!" Ryan scowled. "There are extra kits in the Hummer."

All three of them headed toward the closest vehicle to retrieve the kits, while Ryan debriefed them on the crime scene.

"Two DBs, one male, one female. Both suffered multiple stab wounds to the upper torso. We've ID'd the first vic as a Nathan Llewin, has a Michigan driver's license. The female vic's purse was missing, but the neighbor says she's seen her around the house before."

Eric turned to face Ryan, kit in hand. "Who's the owner?"

"A guy named Alan Oaken. Tripp's trying to track him down." The three CSIs made their way back toward the front lawn as Ryan spoke, "Alexx pinned the time of death between 8AM and 11:30AM."

"Murdered in broad daylight and no one saw or heard a thing?" Calleigh wondered out loud. She noticed some odd debris around the victims. "I assume you and Nat have already started processing this trace."

"Actually, no. We haven't," he said, thoroughly annoyed. "Alexx wouldn't let us touch the bodies until you got here. Said she wanted you to look at the tool marks. I believe her word was 'bizarre.'"

"Okay," Calleigh said slowly, eyeing Ryan in confusion. "I'll just go… yeah." She turned and left.

Eric was just as confused as Calleigh at Ryan's behavior. "Someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, Wolfe?" he joked casually.

Ryan only mumbled something in reply, but the angry sentiment wasn't lost on Eric. He lightly grabbed Ryan's arm and swiveled him around so they were standing face to face.

"Seriously, Wolfe. Talk to me. This isn't like you." _Well, maybe sometimes,_ Eric thought with an internal grin.

"I'm just having a crappy day, alright!" Ryan snapped.

Eric was truly concerned for his friend, but Ryan had no place taking his irritation out on other people. Their job demanded a lot from them, physically and emotionally. They learned to deal with tough situations and crappy days.

"Fine," Eric retorted. "But you don't have to take your frustration out on Calleigh. She was just doing her job."

Ryan rolled his eyes and turned his back on Eric. Suddenly he flipped back around in full outrage. "You know what, Delko? You always defend her. She always defends you! You watch each others' backs, pull favors, show up late to crime scenes…"

Eric interrupted him before he took this too far. "Ryan, what the hell are you even talking about?"

"YOU! You and Calleigh! It's like—it's like," he sputtered.

Eric realized where this was headed. "Ryan, Calleigh and I are just friends. All that stuff you said, about defending each other, watching each others' backs, pulling favors—we do all that for you, too."

Ryan thought for a moment, his anger beginning to subside. _Eric's got a point. But still. _"Okay, fine. But don't insult my intelligence by pretending there's nothing going on between you and Calleigh."

"Don't go there, Ryan."

"Hey, I'm not the one that showed up to a crime scene with her, _half-naked_, on my day off. In fact, I can only remember a handful of times that you two _haven't_ spent your days off together since I came to work at the lab."

"That's because we're best friends. We've known each other for over a decade. Ryan, man, where is all this coming from?"

Ryan groaned. "Ugh. Nowhere—"

"Don't bullshit me, Wolfe."

"Fine! Fine," he took a minute to formulate his next sentence. "I, uh, I know you're spending the day with Calleigh… but do you think we could grab drinks later tonight or something?"

Eric thought about that for a minute. In the car on the way over, he had promised to make up their failed diving trip with something extra-special tonight. However, Ryan never asked Eric for anything—never. And he really seemed to need some guy time, especially since he was biting everyone's heads off at work. Calleigh would understand.

"Sure, as long as you take it easy on the snark the rest of the day," Eric smiled. "Got something in mind?"

Ryan gave a small chuckle, "Yeah, sorry. How about Scully's? Eight-thirty?"

"Sounds good. Now, about this crime scene we've been ignoring… let's find Nat and see if she got anything on the perimeter…"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

Eric walked into Scully's and immediately spotted his friend at the bar. Ryan gave a small wave as Delko headed in his direction.

"Wolfe, hey."

"Hey, Eric. Pick your poison."

"Ah, Jack and Coke," he said, and Ryan nodded at the bartender.

"Okay, so what's your deal?" Eric didn't come here to beat around the bush. Something was obviously bothering Ryan.

"Ugh, you walk in here and in two seconds you're asking me what's wrong."

"Well, you're the one who wanted to meet tonight," Eric reminded him.

Ryan fiddled with the label on his beer bottle. "True."

Eric started to feel like this was more than just a minor problem. "Ryan, you're not gambling again, are you?"

"What? No, no! Of course not. Is that what you think this is about?"

"I don't know, man, you tell me? You're stressed. And you're acting all…mysterious."

"It's not gambling. I wish it was," Ryan groaned.

_What could be worse than gambling, using counterfeit bills, tampering with evidence, and losing your job?_

"Talk to me, Wolfe."

"It's Valera."

"What? You're this messed up about Valera? What the hell happened?" _He caused all that drama because he's having woman problems?_

"I asked her out."

"You asked out Valera. Maxine Valera."

"Yes! Now stop it with the disbelief."

"Are you an idiot?" Eric shook his head with laughter.

"That's exactly what _she _asked me! Why is it so hard to believe that I'd want to ask out an attractive, single woman?"

"That's not it, man. Why'd you ask out Valera if you're still hung up on Boa Vista?"

Now it was Ryan's turn to stare in disbelief. "What do you mean, 'hung up on Boa Vista?'"

"You know what I mean, Wolfe. C'mon, you've had a thing for her since she came to the lab."

"Yeah, well, as I recall you two were dating then," Ryan said with a hint of acrimony. _Sure I still like Natalia. Or, _really_ like Natalia. But that ship sailed a long time ago._

"So, what ever happened with the Lucha Libre thing?"

"Are you kidding me, Delko? She only went out with me to spite _you_. We had a miserable date, and I could barely look at her for a week after that."

"Yeah, and that means that you aren't still totally hot for her."

"You have such a way with words."

"Well, you know," Eric winked and held up his drink in false toast.

"Wait, we're supposed to be talking about Valera and why she laughed in my face this morning."

"Did you ever stop to think she turned you down for a reason?"

Ryan took another hard swig of his beer. "Kick a man while he's down, why don't ya?"

"That's not what I meant. Look, a guy knows not to encroach on another man's territory, right? Well, at least most men do," he rolled his eyes and grinned at the guy who obviously hadn't quite grasped that concept. At least, he hadn't two years ago.

"Whatever. You gave me the green light."

"It's history," Eric said congenially. "What I'm saying—God you're dense. Haven't you noticed the way Natalia acts around you?"

"What?"

"Valera probably said no out of respect for Natalia, not because she wasn't interested."

"What?"

"Are you listening to me at all? Natalia _likes_ you." Eric leaned over and rapped the side of Ryan's head with his knuckles.

Wolfe sat in silence for a long few minutes, trying to process everything. "Natalia. Me," he finally said.

"Yes! Not that I blame you for questioning her sanity," Eric laughed.

Ryan punched him in the shoulder. "Funny," he leaned back onto his stool as he thought about what Delko said. "So, you think I should go for it?"

"Sure, why not?" Ryan could think of a very big 'why not' called IAB. _That little detail never seems to faze Delko, though._

"Why did you two break up, anyway?" he asked thoughtfully.

"What?" _Tread carefully, tread very carefully, _Eric thought to himself.

"Well," he said, "You broke up before everyone found out she was the mole, so it wasn't that. Was it everything going on with Marisol?"

"Umm, no." Eric wasn't sure he liked getting so personal with Ryan Wolfe, of all people. With a few important exceptions, he generally played things close to the chest. Then again, he pretty much tossed that barrier aside when he agreed to have drinks with Ryan tonight. _Male-bonding is overrated_, he sighed.

"We, umm…Ryan I don't really want to—" The look in Ryan's eye told Eric that he had damned-well better answer the question.

"She thought she was pregnant."

Ryan's jaw dropped open and his eyes went wide. That was the last thing he was expecting. He definitely did not want to think about Natalia and Delko being…together…like that.

"You asked," Eric said, chuckling at the look of almost-horror on Wolfe's face. "We weren't all that serious, and I think it just really freaked both of us out. We backed off after that."

Ryan stared at his friend in shock. "You almost knocked up Natalia?"

Eric rolled his eyes again. "Yeah, but I wouldn't put it that way. Stuff happens, Wolfe. You don't plan it, but you at least have to own up to it."

"Would you have stayed with her if she had been pregnant?" he asked.

Eric thought long and hard about that when Nat first told him she might be pregnant. "I was going to, then. If I had a child, I would step up and be a father, no question. Looking back now, I don't think Natalia and I would have stayed together in the long run."

Ryan thought about that for a minute. "Does Calleigh know?"

"Why does it matter?" Eric asked cautiously.

"Because it does," Ryan contested.

Delko sighed. "Yeah, she knows."

"And she was okay with that?"

"Calleigh doesn't have a say in who I date, Wolfe. Or what happens when I date them," Eric said through clenched teeth.

Ryan's eyebrows raised a notch; his friend's words and his tone said two different things. He decided to press his luck. "Are you sure about that?"

Eric sent him a dark glare. "Positive. She's my best friend, not my moral compass."

Ryan laughed. "Whatever you say, Delko," he said, then added, "But if that ever changes…"

The comment was left intentionally open-ended. If Eric was honest with himself, he really did want someone to talk to about Calleigh—it was hard keeping all of it bottled up sometimes, not having a sounding board. _But Wolfe?_

The idea didn't seem as repulsive as Eric thought it would. In fact, he started to wonder why the two of them hadn't gone out for beers a long time ago. They were friends. They hung out after hours. But they never just talked like this.

"If that ever changes," he said slowly with a crooked grin, "I'll let you know."

The two men only made eye contact briefly, but Ryan saw all he needed. Eric and Calleigh had already started down that road, and there was no going back. He smirked. "Congratulations, man," he said quietly.

Eric gave him an annoyed look that morphed into a small smirk. The Cuban man shifted in his seat and set his drink on the counter, a sly smile spreading across his face. "So what are we going to do about you and Natalia?"


End file.
